For years we have been warned of the mental health dangers that the internet poses, but a new study shows that there may be less to worry about than we previously thought.
In a comprehensive report spanning two decades, researchers found no concrete link between internet adoption and a rise in mental health issues globally.
The Oxford Internet Institute examined data from 2.4M people between the ages of 15 and 89 in 168 countries between 2005-2022, as well as analyzed data on rates of mental health disorders like depression, anxiety, and self-harm in 200 countries from 2000 to 2019 compared to the rate of internet adoption during that period, and found there was little evidence to suggest that increased internet usage was associated with negative mental health effects.
This finding drastically contrasts the ongoing criticism of social media giants which accuses these platforms of exacerbating mental health issues in young people, especially around body image issues.
Despite the extensive analysis, researchers still call for more openness from tech companies to facilitate further examination into these continued concerns.